[Gameplay] 2. The House of Pentheru

"Khadi, could you tell us about this creature and its relationship to our wearabouts and mission at large," Drak'wa asks cooly.

Tabat nudges the thing's corpse with his boot. "This one isn't like the ones attacked us below earlier," he remarks before taking a circuit around the room to look for anything of use or value.

'Unlike the earlier heads, this is not undead. It is s a creature from the lower planes. I don't know much of them, but they aren't friendly for the most part, hunting people. It is likely good we killed it.

Buried amid the debris in the room is a large darkwood box (a hope chest) worth 100 gp. Inside is a white silk Osirian wedding robe that is extremely fragile with age. Tabat realizes that any attempt to remove the robe from the chest will ruin it, but make whole, mending, or similar magic cast upon the robe prior to handling completely restores it. If preserved, the robe is worth 150 gp. The chest also contains several pieces of inexpensive jewelry worth 35 gp in total, and a strand of freshwater pearls worth 200 gp. A small sealed tube contains five identical spell scrolls. Finally, a long scroll tube holds a rolled-up papyrus painting—a self-portrait of Ariseti, accompanied by her signature in Ancient Osiriani. Unlike the wedding robe, the painting has been protected from air for many years and can be safely handled without damaging it. It is worth 80 gp to a collector.

"Will you look at this!?" Tabat remarks, "Such treasures. Nobody remove the wedding dress from the box - we'll need to magically secure it before handling - magic to restore the dress to its prior condition." He holds up the scroll tubes - "Can anyone read these spells?"

Drak'wa steps forward. "These items belong in the museum. As i was trained by the man who gave me my namesake, Master Trreezuurbef is doubtless able to read them. He has trained me well so I shall see what I can surmise from these scrolls, ancient tho they are. Please could you speead them open with utmost care and i shall have a look...

Despite being rattled by the floating head, Archibald immediately regains his composure as he notices the antiquaries. "My,my, I should have come better prepared. Please allow me to sketch that robe before we leave." he mutters as he realizes he cannot mend the robe's fragile condition. He makes a mental note to redouble his studies in that direction.

"I should be well equipped to handle that" he exclaims to Tabat. He sheathes his rapier and puts aside the flag
and casts Detect Magic and Read Magic as he handles the scrolls with a delicate touch to examine their contents. After that, he will take out his book and quill to make a sketch of the robe.

"Alright have you had enough time to make the sketches? I feel the dark presence all around. Lets get moving forward."

After Archibald has a few moments to look over the scrolls, and hopefully identify them into something useful, Tabat makes sure to pack everything up careful, particularly the dress - keeping it shut up tight in its box. He takes everything and stages it with other things they've found upstairs near the top of the staircase.

He then gestures with his hand to the others, "Drak'wa's right, let's finish up here, then we have a crypt to cleanse."

Dust blankets this room. The walls, once brightly painted to depict life in ancient Wati, are now faded. A smaller room or alcove takes up the northeast section of the room; it was once closed off by a wooden door that since has rotted away, leaving only its hinges in the doorframe. A strong, cloying odor of decay pervades the room.

Also, another Vargouille is waiting and attacks as soon as the door opens. It opens its distended mouth and shrieks.

Please everyone make a DC12 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 6 rounds.

If you're not paralyzed, you can act before the Vargouille, in whatever order you post.

Khadi freezes up for a moment at the shriek befre managing to shake it off. Uncertain what help she can give with it not being undead she rushes around to get behind it, hoping to aid the others getting a tactical vantage, before thrusting out with her spear.

Iseret feels her muscles beginning to stiffen...

Tabat reels at the shrieking creature before him. He feels his body stiffen within his armor and he falls unceremoniously over to the ground, glad not to have stabbed himself with his own weapon in doing so.

Oh no!!

Drak'wa makes the save and can act right away.

Drak'wa steps up and slashes at the vargouille. "I'm getting pretty tired of these dastardly and strange creatures," he says, sounding pretty annoyed.

A solid hit, the Vargouille is bloodied.